Boy, Did I Blow It | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Boy, Did I Blow It | Previous Challenge Entry
By D. Michael Newell
12/02/15
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BOY, DID I BLOW IT.

With a quick yawn I was fully awake. It was just starting to get light in the eastern sky, when I got up and ate a quick bite before picking up my bow and arrows. I silently left the camp. Today I would live up to my reputation as the greatest hunter in these parts. Besides, I wanted to show my twin brother a thing or two.

From the tracks I saw last night, I knew there were a couple of big ones in this herd. I should be able to get one and bring it home before lunch. Then in the afternoon I’ll make some more arrows. No one can make arrows any better than I can. They fly straight and true.

About ten o’clock, I wondered to where that herd had vanished. All the tracks I saw looked too old. But a herd that size just doesn’t disappear. All morning I tried to pick up their trail. I can’t go back to camp without some meat. My twin brother would be there, and even if I didn’t hear him laugh, I knew he would be laughing at me.

Why hadn’t I brought some lunch with me? It was almost noon and I was starting to get hungry. No worry, I’ll find them and when I do, with my first arrow I will bring down that large buck. Then I’ll clean it and pack it back to camp. Dad will be so proud of me. Mom will like having some fresh meat again. Yes, this would be my day.

There they were over on that hill. I’d just sneak up on them, bag my deer and head home.

Sticking to the line of trees on the left side of the hill, I approached the herd. They were calmly grazing, and did not know that I was downwind from them and would soon be in range. Silently I notched an arrow into my bow. Just a few more feet and that buck would be mine. He was standing off to the side of the herd. Just as I started to pull back on the arrow the whole herd broke into a run down the other side of the hill.

I don’t know what spooked them, but it sure did a good job of it. I started up the hill trying to make up my mind where they were headed when I saw a lion foot print in the fresh mud. Did I want to tangle with the lion, or get my deer? I kept going as I considered my options.

I didn’t want to get my deer and lose it to a lion, especially when it could be more than the deer that was lost. If I didn’t tangle with the lion, I could hunt another day. About that time, I heard the lion attack the deer. So much for getting that buck. I sighed. Here I thought today would be my day. Some day this is turning out to be. Can anything else go wrong?

What time was it? Judging by the location of the sun, deer, - or no deer I needed to head home. There has only been three, maybe four times, when I had come home without some meat. I did my best and will have to let it go with that. I don’t even want to think what my twin brother will say.

I started back home. It was late afternoon when I arrived. My brother was cooking a pot of something that sure smelled good. Boy, I could sure eat a bowl of that stew. I was famished. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. After hunting all day, I just need to eat something. Anything would do. Whatever he was cooking would be just fine.

I asked my brother for a bowl of his stew. He wanted to negotiate. He never wanted to give you something for nothing. He can be such a bother. We quibbled around for a few minutes before agreeing on a price.

Just to get something to eat would be a bargain. Oh, did it smell good. It tasted good too. I enjoyed every morsel. It was delicious. I relaxed, fully satisfied as I stretched out on the grass.

As I rested, my strength returned to me. So did my reasoning. I realized that I could just kill my brother. I am a fool. I had traded my birthright for a bowl of “goat stew.”

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